Boxes having flexibly hinged covers



kn. 6, 1959 R. NYDEN 2,867,371

BOXES HAVING FLEX IBLY HINGED COVERS Filed Aug. 10, 1955 u Jiiiiiil)Pilirikbllllllllr0llllI," 410141.,v

4'6 INVENTOR. ROBERT N YDEN HTTORMEY 'nited States Patent BOXES HAVING FLEXIBLY HINGED COVERS Robert Nyden, Manhasset, N. Y.

Application August 10, 1955, Serial No. 527,492

Claims. (Cl. 229-44) This invention relates to boxes made of relatively stiff material, such as paper-board, cellulose acetate or polystyrene, and consisting of a body having rear, front, said and bottom walls and an open top, a cover to close the open top of the body, and a hinge member connecting the cover to the rear Wall of the body.

It is an object of the invention to provide an inexpensive hinge member of flexible material, such as paper or heavy sheet plastic, having a pleated portion free of the rear wall of the body and the cover to permit the rear portion of the cover to be depressed into the body to lift the'front portion of the cover from the body and facilitate moving the cover to full open position.

It is another object of the invention to provide a hinge member which will automatically close the cover upon release of a restraining force.

It is another object of the invention to provide a fulcrum in the body to facilitate lifting of the front portion of the cover in conjunction with the depressing of the rear portion of the cover.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a fiat cover supported by the body to lie within the top edges of the rear, front and side walls of the body.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description of the invention.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this application:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a box with the cover in closed position and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the box shown in Figure l to show the hinge member in cover closing position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows with the cover in closed position;

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3 with the front portion of the cover lifted from the body by compressing the pleated portion of the hinge member;

Figure '5 is a top plan view of a modified form of box with the cover in closed position;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 5 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the cover in closed position;

Figure 7 is a sectional view similar to Figure 6 with the front portion of the cover lifted from the body by compressing the pleated portion of the hinge member;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of another modification of box with the cover in open position;

Figure 9 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale,

taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8 looking in the direc-' tion of the arrows and showing the cover in closed position; and

Figure 10 is a sectional view similar to Figure 9 with the front portion of the cover lifted from the body by compressing the pleated portion of the hinge member. The embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, comprises a body having a rear wall 11,

a front wall 12, side walls 13 and a bottom wall 14 connected to each other in any suitable manner to form an integral enclosure having an open top. The open top is closed by a flat cover 15 of a size to snugly fit within the rear, front and side walls of the body. The cover 15 is supported in closed position to lie within the top edges of the rear, front and side walls of the body by a frame-like, inner liner resting on the bottom wall 14 and having three of its walls juxtaposed to the inner faces of the front and side walls of the body, as shown at 16, and the fourth wall of the liner parallel to and spaced from the rear wall 11 of the body, as shown at 17. The walls of the liner are of less height than the rear, front and side walls of the body, so that the top of the cover will lie in a plane flush with or slightly below the top edges of said body walls. The cover is connected to the rear wall 11 of the body by a hinge member of flexible material, such as paper or heavy sheet plastic, having one end portion 18 secured to the outer face of the rear wall 11 and the other end.

portion 19 secured to the top of the cover 15. The

intermediate portion of the hinge member is free of the rear wall 11 and the cover 15 and pleated transversely of the length of said member, as shown at 20..

The pleated portion 20 is adapted to extend through the rear wall 11 by providing a notch 21 in said rear' wall ofa length slightly greater than the width of the pleated portion 20 and extended from the top edge of the rear wall 11 to a depth slightly less than half the height of said rear wall. formed by folding spaced portions of the hinge member at the rear edge of the cover 15 and at the bottom of the notch 21 and folding the portion of the hinge member midway of said previously folded portions to form a V-shaped pleat. The lengths of the sides of the V are sufiicient to extend the midway fold beyond the inside of the rear wall 11, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The lengths of the sides of the V of the pleated portion will impart strength to the pleated portion and to increase said strength the width of the pleated portion is approximately two-thirds of the length of the rear wall 11. The end portion 18 and the pleated portion 20 are of the same width. The end portion 19 of the hinge member is cut to the shape of but slightly smaller than the top of the cover so that only a marginal portion of the cover is exposed, as shown at 22. To provide a uniform V in the pleated portion 20, the center portion at the rear edge of the cover is extended to form a tongue 23 of a length substantially equal to the thickness of the rear wall 11 and of a width substantially equal to the width of the pleated portion 2% of the hinge member. As shown in Figure 3, the pleated portion 219 is in expanded condition when the cover 15 is resting on the top edges of the liner 16, 17, so that pressure on the rear portion of the cover 15 at the tongue portion 23 will compress the pleated portion 20 of the hinge member and fulcrum the cover 15 on the liner wall 17 to lift the front portion of the cover, as shown in Figure 4. This lifting of the front portion of the cover 15 will permit opening the cover to a position to remove the contents of the box. The pleated portion 29 is of sufficient strength due to the width and length of the sides of the V and the material itself to urge the cover to closing position upon release of a restraining force, such as the hand of the user.

The pleated portion 20 is- The open top of the box enclosure is closed by a flat cover 29 having tongues 30 extending laterally from the opposite side edges of the cover into the notches 28 whereby the cover is supported by the bottoms of the notches in the closed position of the cover to extend in a plane flush with or slightly below the top edges of the rear, front and side walls of the body depending on the depth of the notches 28. The cover- 29, is connected to the rear wall 24 of the body by a hinge member of the same construction as the hingemember described in connection with Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, comprising an end portion 31 of a Width equal substantially to two-thirds of the length of the rear wall 24 and secured to said rear wall below a notch 32 in the upper portion of the rear wall and of slightly greater length than the width of the end portion 31. The other end portion 33 of the hinge member is secured to the entire top surface of the cover including a tongue 34 extendingfrom the rear edge of the cover into the notch 32 in the wall 24. The intermediate portion of the hinge member is pleated in the same manner as the pleat 20 and extended through the notch 32, as shown at 35 in Figures 6 and 7. The front portion of the cover 29 is lifted by pressing on the rear portion of said cover to compress the pleated portion 35 and fulcrum the rear portions of the tongues 30 on the rear portions of the notches 28, as shown in Figure 7.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 show another modified form of box comprising a body having a rear wall 36, a front wall 37, side walls 38 and a bottom wall 39 forming an enclosure with an open top closed by a flat cover 40 of a size to fit within said rear, front and side walls of the body and having a tongue 41 extending from the rear edge of the cover 40 into a notch 42 in the upper portion of the rear wall 36. The cover 40 is connected to the rear wall 36 of the body by a hinge member of flexible mate-rial having one end portion 43 secured to the outer face of the rear wall 36 and the other end portion 44 secured to the top surface of the cover. The intermediate portion of the hinge, member is pleated at 45 to extend through the notch 42 in the rear wall 36 to perform in the same manner as the pleated portions 20 and 35;. To form the fulcrum in the body on which the front port on of the cover 40 is lifted by pressure on the rear port on of the cover, there is provided a frame-like inner liner 46 resting on the bottom wall 39 and having all four walls juxtaposed to the inner faces of the rear, front and side walls of the body with the upper edges of the walls of the liner juxtaposed to the inner faces of the front and side walls of the body spaced below the top edges of said front and side walls, as shown at 47 to support the cover 40 in closed position in a plane flush with or slightly below the top edges of therear, front and side walls of the body. The rear portions of the top edges of the walls of the liner 46 juxtaposed to the inner faces of the side walls 38 are declined, as at 48, to the top edge of the wall of the liner 46 juxtaposed to the rear wall 36 which latter top edge extends in the plane of the bottom of the notch 42, as shown at 49, so that said wall of the liner will not interfere with the movements of the pleated portion 45. The front portion of the cover 40 is lifted by pressure on the rear portion of the cover whereby the pleated portion 45 is compressed and the rear-side portions of the cover are fulcrumed against the declining edge portions 48 of the liner 46, as shown in Figure 10.

In all the structures shown in the drawing, the following features are present: The cover is supported in closed position to extend in a plane flush with or slightly below the top edges of the rear, front and side walls of the body. The front portion of the cover is lifted by pressure on the rear portion of the cover compressing the pleated portion of the hinge member and moving the cover against a fulcrum arranged in or on the body. The pleated portion of the hinge member will urge the cover to closed position upon release of a restraining force.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A box comprising a body having rear, front, side and bottom walls and an open top and arranged with a fulcrum spaced forwardly of the rear wall and a notch in the upper edge portion of the rear wall having the bottom Wall of the notch in a plane below the fulcrum, a cover a close the open top of the body, and a hinge member of flexible material secured at the end portions to the body and to the cover and having an intermediate portion free of the body and of the cover and pleated transversely of the length of said member and extended into the notch in the rear wall of the body with the pleated portion in expanded condition when the cover is in closed position, and the front portion of the cover is lifted by pressing on the rear portion of the cover and compressing the pleated portion of the hinge. member to cause a portion of the cover spaced forwardly of the rear edge of the cover to engage the fulcrum.

2. A box as claimed in claim 1, wherein the notch is less than the length of the rear wall of the body and located in the center of the upper edge portion of said rear wall, the cover is provided with a tongue to fit into the notch of the rear wall of the body, and the pleated portion of the hinge member is positioned in said notch below the tongue of the cover.

3. A boxcomprising a body having rear, front, side and bottom walls and an open top and arranged with a notch in the upper edge portion of the rear wall, a frame-like inner liner mounted in the body and having its walls of less height than the rear, front and side walls of the body and three of said walls juxtaposed to the front and side walls of the body and the fourth wall of the liner parallel to and spaced from the rear wall of the body and the top edges of the liner extending in a plane above the bottom of the notch, a flat cover to close the open top of the body and rest upon the liner in closed position, and a hinge member of flexible material secured at the end portions to the rear wall of the body and to the cover and having an intermediate portion free of the rear wall of the body and of the cover and pleated transversely of the length of said member and extended into the notch in the rear wall of the body with the pleated portion in expanded condition when the cover is in closed position, the wall of the liner parallel to and spaced from the rear wall of the body forming a fulcrum to be engaged by a portion of the cover forwardly of the rear edge of the cover whereby the front portion of the cover is lifted by pressing on the rear portion of the cover and compressing the pleated portion of the hinge member.

4. A box comprising a body having rear, front, side and bottom walls and an open top, the rear wall being arranged with a notch in its upper edge portion, the side walls of the body being arranged with corresponding notches in the upper edge portions of said side walls having the bottom walls of the side wall notches in a plane above the plane of the bottom wall of the rear wall notch, a flat cover to close the open top of the body having tongues extending from opposite side portions to fit in the notches in the upper edge portions of the side walls of the body and support the cover in closed position in a plane within the top edges of the rear, front and side walls of the body, and a hinge, member of flexible material secured at the end portions to the rear wall of the body and to the cover and having an intermediate portion free of the rear wall of the, body and of the cover and pleated transversely of the length of said member and extended into the notch in the rear wall of the body with the pleated portion in expanded condition when the cover is in closed position, the rear portions of the notches in the side walls of the body forming ful-crurns to be engaged by portions of the cover forwardly of the. rear. edge of the cover whereby the front portion of the cover is. lifted by pressing on the rear portion of the cover and compressing the pleated portion of the hinge member.

5. A box comprising a body having rear, front, side and bottom Walls and an open top and arranged with a notch in the upper edge portion of the rear wall, a frame-like inner liner mounted in the body and having its walls of less height than and juxtaposed to the rear, front and side walls of the body and the wall of the liner juxtaposed to the rear wall of the body being of less height than the other three Walls of the liner and the top" edge of said wall of the liner being in the plane of the bottom of the notch, and corresponding portions of the top edges of the walls of the liner juxtaposed to the side walls of the body declining to the wall of the liner juxtaposed to the rear wall of the body, a fiat cover to close the open top of the body and rest on the walls of the liner juxtaposed to the side and front walls of the body in the closed position of the cover, and a hinge member of flexible material secured at the end portions to the rear wall of the body and to the cover and having an intermediate portion free of the rear wall of the body and of the cover and pleated transversely of the length of said member and extended into the notch in the rear wall edge portions of the liner walls forming fulcrums to be engaged by portions of the cover forwardly of the rear edge of the cover whereby the front portion of the cover is lifted by pressing on the rear portion of the cover and compressing the pleated portion of the hinge member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 140,689 Elder July 8, 1873 450,211 Achor Apr. 14, 1891 720,390 Ziemer Feb. 10, 1903 1,851,442 Neely Mar. 29, 1932 2,270,001 Foley Jan. 13, 1942 2,491,264 Hermani Dec. 13, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 870,887 France Mar. 27, 1942 

